Who Wants Sprouts? How To Avoid Tantrums During Christmas Dinner!

You’ve spent hours sweating away in the kitchen to make the perfect Christmas dinner, you’re finally sit down to eat and boom – your little ones start throwing tantrums. Upset kids at the dinner table can ruin even the most delicious meal, but don’t worry – we’ve got some top tips to make the Christmas dinner a joyous occasion!

Cook as a family

Christmas is all about spending time with your family, especially your precious little ones. So, why not make even more great holiday memories by cooking the Christmas dinner together! Helping your little chefs to mix the Yorkshire pudding batter, mash the potatoes or set the table with you will give the whole dinner a real family-feel! Not only is this a great opportunity to bond with your little ones, but they’ll also feel more excited about eating it!

Roast dinner wraps

Sometimes all it takes is a little twist on the classic Christmas roast to avoid your little one from turning their nose up. A great way to do this is to let them make their own roast dinner wraps! Simply take all their favourites bits and help them to make a wrap out of it! Disguising a classic roast dinner in a wrap will change the way they see the meal, plus getting them to ‘make’ their meal will make them more enthusiastic about eating it!

Christmas colour-in tablecloths

If your kids get bored at the dinner table, it won’t be long before a tantrum makes an appearance! Keeping the little ones occupied is key to having a relaxing meal. Enter Christmas colour-in-tablecloths – the festive miracle you need to see to believe! Having your kids colouring in the tablecloth is a great way to keep them entertained, and keep them at the table – so everyone is happily together! You can even let the adults join in and turn it into a fun festive game for the whole family!   

Make them the festive photographer

It’s tricky to keep the kids at the table for too long, but you also want them to be part of the dinner too! A great way for your little tots to be entertained without them disappearing into another room is to give them the role of festive photographer! Sit them down before everyone arrives and tell them they’ve got a very important mission to get as many pictures of the Christmas dinner and the family, as possible. Giving them a disposable camera and letting them take photos at the table, will also involve everyone else and become a fun addition to the occasion!

Lead up to Christmas with tasters

One of the reasons that Christmas dinner is so special (and so yummy!) is that you eat things you wouldn’t normally have – stuffing, roast turkey and sprouts are all rare seasonal specials! This is obviously a plus for us adults but can be a bit daunting for the kids. Try introducing some of the Christmas dishes earlier on in the year, so when it comes to the big day, your little ones are already used to the flavours!

Christmas dinner is one of the highlights of the year – eating lots of delicious food with the whole family is a very special occasion. However, it can all be ruined if your little one throws a tantrum. To avoid this, you need to put them first and figure out ways to keep them entertained and eating. We hope our tips will help to keep everyone full of joy and peace around the table! Good luck!